Brasov

With an eye for trade and invasion routes, the medieval Saxons sited their largest settlements near Transylvania’s mountain passes. Braşov, which they called Kronstadt, grew prosperous as a result, and Saxon dominance lasted until the Communist government brought thousands of Moldavian villagers to work in the new factories. As a result, there are two parts to Braşov: the Gothic and Baroque centre beneath Mount Tâmpa, which looks great, and the surrounding sprawl of flats, which doesn’t. The central square, surrounded by restored merchants’ houses, is now the heart of a buzzing city with a raft of exciting bars and restaurants.

Buses from the station will leave you near the central square, Piața Sfatului. Leading northeast from the square the pedestrianized Strada Republicii is the hub of Braşov’s social and commercial life.

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Piata Sfatului

Piața Sfatului is overshadowed by the Gothic pinnacles of the city’s most famous landmark, the Black Church, which stab upwards like a series of daggers. An endearingly monstrous hall-church that took almost a century to complete (1383–1477), it is so called for its soot-blackened walls, the result of being torched by the Austrian army in 1689. Inside, by contrast, the church is startlingly white, with oriental carpets creating splashes of colour along the walls of the nave. In summer, the church’s 4000-pipe organ is used for concerts.

The fifteenth-century council house (Casa Sfatului) in the centre of Piața Sfatului now houses the History Museum, which has a small exhibition dedicated to the Saxon guilds that dominated Braşov in medieval times.

Mount Tâmpa

A length of fortress wall runs along the foot of Mount Tâmpa, behind which a cable car whisks tourists up to the summit. However, the trails to the top offer a challenging walk (1hr) and some fantastic views.

Museum of the Bârsa Land Fortifications

Of the original seven bastions (towers maintained by the city’s trade guilds), the best preserved is that of the weavers, on Str Coşbuc. This complex of wooden galleries and bolt holes now contains the Museum of the Bârsa Land Fortifications. Inside are models and weaponry recalling the bad old days when the region was repeatedly attacked by Tatars, Turks and by Vlad the Impaler, who left hundreds of captives on sharp stakes to terrorize the townsfolk. The Saxons’ widely publicized stories of Vlad’s cruelty unwittingly contributed to Transylvania’s dark image and eventually caught Bram Stoker’s attention as he conceived Dracula.